HIS FAVORITE PASSAGE

Friday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time
Mt 9:9-13

Jesus has a favorite passage from the Old Testament. His favorite passage, written in Hos 6:6, “It is mercy I desire, not sacrifice.” Jesus quotes this scriptural passage more than once. Twice, He makes the same claim. The fist instance is in today’s Gospel. The second is in Mt 12:7, defending His disciples against the accusation of breaking the Sabbath Law.

This is Jesus’ favorite scriptural passage because it tells who He really is. Jesus is God’s mercy. Mercy is Jesus’ very life. In the crucified Christ, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI), once said, we see God turning against Himself and how His mercy overcame His justice. Indeed, as St. Faustina Kowalska wrote in her diary, “Mercy is God’s greatest attribute,” because God’s mercy is Jesus Himself.

Jesus invites us to follow Him just as He invites Levi, in the Gospel today, to follow Him. He means more than just going where He goes. Following Jesus means, most importantly, becoming like Him. As Jesus is mercy in itself, so must we be mercy-incarnate. We follow Him best by doing our best to become like Him. Let us be His mercy to others. Let us strive to be His favorites.